Residents of Southern California are being rushed to hospitals at an alarming rate. Most are having trouble breathing because of an incredibly strong sulfurous scent coming from Hollywood.

Investigators from the California Air Quality Department spread investigators all over the region in an attempt to track the stench after being flooded with 2o,000 complaints from across Los Angeles,” said Ned Bantman, executive for the department

Bantman said “several factors” indicate the odor could be coming from the Hollywood, including last weekend’s offering of feature films.

“The odor was extremely intense,” said Janiice Ross Dawson of the Air Quality Task Force. “We actually thought that somebody had abroken sewage main, that’s how strong it was.”

“It stinks here,” said Toby Fleener of South Central. “I always knew white people smelled, but something must be going on because they are really stinking up this city.”

Doctors and nurses are scrambling to come up with an anti-stink spray that residents can use to help them deal with the tremendous odor.

“If you are exposed to the Hollywood stench too long, it can cause brain damage,” said Dr. Rose Blanton of Beverly Hills. “We are recommending that people take precautions by staying away from Hollywood and heading to Palm Springs or… New York.”

The smell poses numerous health hazards, and has generated an explosion of quips on social media from the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles. “Hollywood stinks,” is the common theme.

Jose Chavez, a 28-year-old comedian from San Fernando, tweeted: “The Valley is starting to smell like rotten eggs. In an unrelated note, Febreeze sales are through the roof.”

Chavez was leaving the grocery store when he was overwhelmed by the odor, he said in a phone interview.

“My first thought was that maybe one of the eggs I bought was rotted and I got back home and the smell was still there so then I started to think it was me so I changed my clothes,” he said. “It was very pungent.”

As of this morning, WWN can confirm that the smell is dissipating – though there is a lingering effect that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.